Feeding Fish in Tropical Freshwater Aquariums: What Food Is Best?

By: Jill Kaestner

Different foods for different fish
Feeding tropical freshwater fish a stable diet that is suited to their species is absolutely essential. Proper feeding maintains a healthy immune system, stimulates growth and breeding, improves the appearance of fish and encourages activity. Various species of fish have need of different diets so it is essential that you research the dietary habits of the fish you intend to put in your aquariums.

Finding the right type and consistency of food
The type of diet and food consistency can be determined by bearing in mind three divisions of two groups.
The first category is the type of food. Herbivores eat plant-based food only, omnivores eat both plants and animals, and carnivores are meat-eating fish. Most fish fall into this third group.

There are also different depths at which fish feed in fish aquariums so it is vital to present food in a consistency suitable for fish which collect food from the surface, fish that feed on food which has fallen into the water, and fish that collect food from the bottom of fish tanks.

What will you offer?
All fish require a balanced diet consisting of fats,carbohydrates,proteins, vitamins and minerals. Here are a variety of foods you may bear in mind, depending on the nutritional requirements of the fish in your tropical freshwater aquariums.

Herbivore fish need food high in fibre, such as algae and vegetables. These fish will enjoy spinach, lettuce, nettles, zucchini, carrots, peas and maize. You need to make certain that these vegetables are boiled so they are soft, and broken down into reasonably sized pieces. These foods provide several vitamins, minerals and trace elements. I also recommend using Spirulina for herbivores as it provides them with easily assimilable vegetable protein.

For omnivores and carnivores, a high protein diet will be vital. This can be supplied through live food (making sure it is nutritious), home-grown or commercial foods. Thin slices of raw red meat or cooked white meat can be used, live small fish (e.g. feeder goldfish), freeze-dried or live worms, daphnia, brine shrimp, Tubifex, and krill. Meat, brine shrimp and worms are best fed as a delicacy rather than as an everyday food. Tubifex promotes growth and can be used as a conditioning food to get your fish healthy prior to breeding. Personally, I advise krill as a dietary basis for carnivorous and omnivorous fish. They are rich in protein and contain amino acids and Omega 3 fatty acids for overall health, carotenoids to bring out bright colors in fish, vitamins and minerals which support the immune system, dietary roughage to improve digestion, and stimulating carbohydrates. Krill are also low in salt and fat. They are superb for helping a sick fish get better or to bring a healthy fish up to maximum condition for breeding or showing. For predatory carnivores who like to catch moving things, you can suspend non-live food from a fork and lower it into the fish tank in front of the fish, wiggling it around to give the impression it is alive!

Dry foods
There are various types of dry foods such as granules, grains, flakes, pills, pellets and wafers. All of these can be bought in a range of textures considering the type of fish you want to feed and the various depths of the water column they occupy. Most of these prepared foods are of a high-quality, intended to provide a balanced diet and are fortified with extra vitamins and minerals, so it is essential to add them in the diet. Different formulas can also be used at times such as preparation for breeding or for developing color. It is also very practical being easy to store and doesn't involve any preparation. The danger of disease or parasites being brought into fish aquariums with food is likewise completely eliminated.

Bon Appetit!
Diversity is the real key to beneficial fish nutrition. Therefore, it is important to provide your fish with a range of different suitable foods to ensure they are given a balanced diet for their optimum health and their interest in and enjoyment of food.

Copyright Â(c) 2009 Jill Kaestner @ Kaestner Marketing LLC

Article Source: http://www.collectibles-articles.com

Jill Kaestner I aim to provide you with expert guidance on setting up, stocking and servicing your fish tanks. With personal know-how in tropical freshwater aquariums and widespread professional research, information and advice in my articles can be trusted. I have also started 'Aquarius', a website to share with you some of my unique aquariums bowls.

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